Team Dimension Data riders and chiefs were left fuming after star sprinter Mark Cavendish was forced to abandon the Abu Dhabi Tour after he was hit by an official race vehicle – prior to Wednesday’s first stage even starting.

The 32-year-old Brit was floored, along with three other riders, when the race director’s vehicle appeared to brake suddenly in font of them in the neutralised zone.

The Manx Missile rejoined the peloton but was forced to the side of the road after just 5km and pulled out. He was immediately taken to hospital suffering from concussion and whiplash, but a serious neck injury was avoided.

Dimension Data confirmed Cavendish fell on the same shoulder he fractured in the heavy crash with Peter Sagan which forced him to abandon the 2017 Tour de France on Stage 4.

Teammate Mekseb Debesay, Team Sky’s Leonardo Basso and Alessandro Tonelli (Bardiani CSF) were also caught up in the low-speed crash but all three managed to finish the race.

Dimension Data colleague Mark Renshaw said the incident didn’t look good for race organisers, with Cavendish the Tour’s ambassador.

“I can’t say if it’s his (race director’s) fault or not. I hope it isn’t because he’s the ambassador for the race so it wouldn’t look very good to take out your face of the race,” said the Australian, post-race.

“I don’t know what happened. I didn’t see it. But I spoke to him straight after, he came back into the bunch and I asked him if he was ok and he said his head and neck were really sore.

“It must be bad if he stopped the race because he’s one of the hardest guys I know.”

Mark Cavendish after his crash and before withdrawing from the Abu Dhabi Tour

And Renshaw also rued the incident as it wrecks the team’s plans for the rest of the Tour.

He added: “It’s a massive blow for us because we came here to win one of these three stages and now we can’t really do much until the time trial and Steve Cummings and then the uphill finish.”

Renshaw claimed the incident in the neutralised zone prior to a race starting was not uncommon, saying: “I think the neutral zone’s probably one of the most dangerous areas. Guys not concentrating, cars close to the bunch, guys moving up and down, so it’s dangerous.”

But his comments were in stark contrast to the team’s sports director, Roger Hammond, who said: “No, it’s not common, it’s really rare, otherwise we’d know about them.

"@MarkCavendish sustained a concussion and a whiplash injury after his crash today. Due to the concussion, we were not willing to risk rider safety and the call was made for Mark to stop the race." - Dr. @Aid326

Hammond said Dimension Data were awaiting confirmation on the extent of Cavendish’s injuries, with the Manxman scheduled to next compete in Italy at the Tirreno–Adriatico from March 7-13 and Milan–San Remo on March 17.

“I got a message at 10km to go saying they’d had scans and an X-Ray, they’re just waiting for the diagnosis,” added Englishman Hammond of his compatriot.

“Concussion and whiplash, that’s what the doctor said, or thought it was. We’re waiting for confirmation. I wouldn’t be surprised as he sent me through a picture of him in a neck brace, so we’re obviously worried about that. It needs to be confirmed.”

UAE Team Emirates’ sprinter Alexander Kristoff went on to win Stage 1 in Madinat Zayed and said Cavendish’s fall and subsequent withdrawal was a shame for the race.

“I think the car in front braked and he was perhaps fixing something on his bike at the same time,” said the Norwegian. “He got hit quite hard. I heard he was ok but had a headache and his vision was blurred so it’s a pity. He cannot really do anything.”

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Alexander Kristoff believes going up against and beating the best sprinters in cycling proves he can do so on the sport’s biggest stages – like the Tour de France.

The Norwegian navigated his way through a packed bunch sprint in Madinat Zayed on Wednesday to claim the opening stage victory of the Abu Dhabi Tour – a poignant one for both him and his new team, UAE Team Emirates, at their home race.

Success follows on from teammate Rui Costa winning the penultimate stage at last year’s event which helped him race to the overall title at Yas Marina Circuit.

Unlike at the Dubai Tour earlier this month where he claimed four top 10 finishes but had to watch as Mark Cavendish won one stage and Elia Viviani two more as the Italian secured overall victory, Kristoff was crowned king of the Al Fahim Stage, clinging to Mitchelton-Scott rider Caleb Ewan’s wheel and stalking the Australian as he made his move before passing him close to the line.

And Kristoff admitted victory gives him confidence going into the remainder of the season.

“For sure. It’s also a WorldTour race so there’s lots of good riders here. All the best sprinters,” said the 30-year-old reigning European champion.

“We were missing some guys and Cavendish crashed out. But apart from that all the best are here so if you can win here it shows you can win at the Tour de France too. That gives me confidence for the rest of the season.”

Kristoff was celebrating a second success in just three days, his victory in the Western Region coming on the back of winning the final Stage 6 at the Tour of Oman on Monday.

And he admitted he could hardly have envisaged a more perfect start to life with UAE Team Emirates.

“Not really. I could have won already in Dubai, but the start is good. To get a win here in the home race is important for me and also the team,” he said.

“We were close in Dubai, I felt good there and in Oman. I found a good way to the front and at the front I know I can beat the best on my good days. It gives me confidence that I can race against the best guys and beat them.”

With the likes of reigning Abu Dhabi champion Costa and 2015 Vuelta a Espana champion Fabio Aru alongside him in Abu Dhabi, there seemed a conundrum for team officials to decide who to choose as the lead rider.

But Kristoff revealed the team has goals every day, and that the General Classification is the biggest one – suggesting that the stage is set for Costa or Aru to take charge.

“We have goals every day,” he added.

“It’s a relief to win and I hope for the same again tomorrow. Hopefully we will not lose too much time for the GC guys on the time trial and then hopefully they can take advantage on the last day and win the race. The GC is the most important thing.”

The stage itself got off to a calamitous start as race ambassador Cavendish collided with the race director’s vehicle in the neutralised zone – before the stage had even officially begun.

The Manx Missile and three other riders were floored when the vehicle in front appeared to brake suddenly. Cavendish, 32, re-joined the peloton only to call it a day 5km later, and the Team Dimension Data man has abandoned his Tour.

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Mark Cavendish abandons Abu Dhabi Tour after crashing in neutral zone

Mark Cavendish has abandoned the Abu Dhabi Tour after he crashed in the neutralised zone on Stage 1.

Cycling News reported the Manx Missile fell shortly after the race rolled out of Madinat Zayed, before the race had even officially started, in an incident which is believed to have been caused when several riders were forced to slam on their brakes and fell when the race director’s vehicle broke sharply in front of them.

Although the Team Dimension Data rider was able to remount and re-join the peloton before the official start, he wheeled to a halt again at the roadside after just five kilometres and abandoned the race.

Dimension Data confirmed that Cavendish fell on the same shoulder that he fractured in the heavy crash with Peter Sagan that forced him to abandon the 2017 Tour de France on Stage 4.

The full extent of the injury and its impact on the rest of his early-season programme is not yet clear, with Dimension Data set to provide further information after Cavendish has undergone a medical check-up.

The Abu Dhabi Tour – where the 32-year-old Cavendish has won three previous stages – was to be his third race of the 2018 season after he kicked off his campaign with a stage win at the Dubai Tour and then raced the Tour of Oman last week.

🇦🇪 #RideToAbuDhabi@MarkCavendish went down in the neutral zone, falling on the same shoulder he broke last year. He got up and chased back to the peloton but had to abondon soon after. More info to come after medical check.